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JK Tyre, a leading player in the industry, rolled out its 10 millionth truck radial tyre earlier this week in Mysore, Karnataka. On the sidelines of the celebratory event, Raghupati Singhania, chairman and managing director, JK Tyre and Industries Ltd., in a conversation with media persons congratulated employees for the success of the company and announced a research and development facility in Mysore. Excerpts:
Q. JK Tyre has rolled out its 10 millionth truck radial tyre. How has been the journey so far?
A. This has been a unique milestone which only JK Tyre has achieved in India. JK Tyre pioneered the radial technology in India and was the first to introduce truck/bus radial tyres way back in 1999 and today we have become the largest producer of truck/bus radial tyres in the country. Over the years, JK Tyre has grown multi-fold by setting up greenfield plants, expansion of its existing capacities and acquisitions, including that of Vikrant tyre in Karnataka, as also a tyre company in Mexico, apart from the latest acquisition of three plants of Cavendish industries in Uttarakhand. JK Tyre is a multinational company now, with 12 plants globally with a future-ready capacity of 350 lakh tyres per annum, including Mexico plants. We export tyres to 100 countries, across six continents. We have also entered the high growth segment of 2-3 wheeler tyres that has made JK Tyre a manufacturer of the complete range of tyres i.e. from a 3 kilo scooter tyre to the 3.7 tonne ultra large OTR tyre.
Q. What are the company’s plans to push ahead its research and development facility?
A. Our R&D centres, currently spread over different locations, are now going to be brought under one roof in a world-class research centre with an investment of Rs 100 crore. It will initially have about 200 engineers and scientists and the number will double in the next one year. This will house the most modern and advanced equipment manned by highly experienced engineers and scientists with deep insight into material resource, designs, aesthetics and structures. We have one of the highest diagnostic equipment in tyre technology and we will be adding more sophisticated technology which will be the only ones to be used by any tyre or auto company in the country. The idea is to conduct some basic research in the industry which is done nowhere in India and is hardly done overseas on a large scale either. The R&D facility will be a unique centre of excellence spread across 1 lakh sq ft and will open in a couple of months.
Q. How much revenue do you expect the R&D facility will be able to create?
A. The revenue push will come from our sales and our shares. The R&D facility will act as a back-up and an enabler to us and will continue to exist and operate for years in the interest of technology.
Q. How is the Indian rubber market doing?
A. Unfortunately now, our rubber situation is going from bad to worse. We have put all kinds of restrictions on our rubber imports in terms of increasing the import duty from 20% to 25% which was done almost a year back. The additional factor is that the charge has increased “per kilo” as well. But on the plea that the domestic industries is importing rubber unduly and that is killing our rubber planters, I’d say that nobody is getting killed except the rubber industry in India; the consumer and the suppliers are getting killed here. Because the domestic rubber production is not keeping pace with the demand, this year around 40% of the rubber demand was met by imports. Also, the price of domestic rubber is 4-5% higher than the global standards and the imports are cheaper even after import duty. Nobody wants to import willfully. We have to stock our imports, but if I am buying from the domestic market, I can easily buy whenever I need. The reason why we continue to import is that we are afraid that our plants will shut down if we won’t.
Q. JK Tyre has also tried to operate in an environment-friendly manner. What has been your success on that front?
A. We have tried to become a “green company” by going greener in our manufacturing processes, plants and our products. The “Green Tyres” that we produce have low rolling resistance which helps in saving fuel. At a process level, we are constantly reducing our “carbon footprint” by reducing our energy and water consumption which are two critical resources used in tyre manufacturing. JK Tyre is the first company in India to have completed the certified “carbon footprint verification process” as per the standards set down by the British Standard Institute. This year, JK Tyre achieved total energy benchmark levels of 10.9 GJ/tonne, which stands among top five best companies in the sector worldwide. Likewise, in water consumption as well, some of our plants are world benchmarks, with all JK Tyre plants having zero water discharge.


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Aggie chief Piñol accepts part of the blame for veggie sale snafu
With the rising costs of vegetables in the market because of scarce supply, the Department of Agriculture (DA) recently held an open market event where farmers from the provinces were given a chance to sell their products at a lower cost to Metro Manila buyers.
The TienDA event was supposed to be an opportunity for Metro Manila consumers to purchase cheaper vegetables and give the farmers an avenue to earn income but what resulted from the event was less than ideal.
It was reported that many market goers simply walked off without paying for their purchases and left the farmers’ stalls casually as if nothing had happened.
“I felt so sad and so disappointed that farmers who labored so hard and took pains to offer their produce at very low prices were shortchanged by some heartless people,” he said and acknowledged that his department also shares part of the blame for failing to protect the farmers who were overwhelmed the volume of people who came to the event.
He however, assured that they will be implementing a better system in future TienDA events and will assist the farmers so that they won’t be cheated again by non-paying shoppers. (ANGEL ONG)

domain: news


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MediaTek is now the number one supplier of mobile processors for Android smartphones in the U.S., according to research from IDC, and it has announced a pair of new chips, plus news about its mmWave 5G modem, which it hopes will help continue to drive its great momentum. The Dimensity 8000 and Dimensity 8100 processors are a step down from the Dimensity 9000 platform, but are still expected to compete with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 in terms of power thanks to a more modern modem and greater efficiency.
The Dimensity 8000 will find a home in premium 5G Android smartphones, and has been built using a 5nm process, unlike the high-specification 4nm Dimensity 9000. The octa-core Dimensity 8000 chip uses four Arm Cortex A78 cores at 2.75GHz, along with four Arm Cortex A55 cores, while the slightly faster Dimensity 8100 uses the same Cortex A78 cores at speeds up to 2.85Ghz. The two are otherwise identical.
On the connectivity side, the modem supports the latest Release 16 standards for
MediaTek has added the Dimensity 8000 series to its Dimensity Open Resource Architecture (DORA) initiative, meaning device makers can customize aspects of the processor to better meet the demands of their new devices. OnePlus became one of the first to take up the initiative, and used a DORA-modified version of the Dimensity 1200 processor for the OnePlus Nord 2 5G smartphone.
The Dimensity 8000 series chips are waiting in the wings, and MediaTek expects phones with the chips inside to arrive in the next few weeks. And unlike the currently China-centric Dimensity 9000, it sees them being used globally. Smartphones with the 8000-series chips may cost between $400 and $700. But this isn’t the only reason it’s expecting further success in the U.S. and around the world.
MediaTek has mostly focused on Sub-6
Now boasting 51% market share in
- Something amazing happened to U.S. smartphones on July 11
- MediaTek wants to bring its phone tech to cars, and Nvidia’s going to help
- This new MediaTek chip is great news for Android phones
- The U.S. government is now using AirTag trackers to spy on packages
- The new MediaTek Dimensity 7200 brings high-end tech to midrange phones


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The Rank Group's interactive operation under the Blue Square.com brand has a new managing director. The online gambling company announced this week that Mark Jones (44) has accepted the position.
Jones is an experienced Internet retailer, having been founder and chief executive of Online Travel Corporation plc and managing director of lastminute.com. In addition, he has held senior management positions at Travelocity and Harrods.
Rank plc chief exec Ian Burke said: "I am delighted to welcome Mark to Rank and I look forward to working with him as we seek to unlock growth opportunities in the gaming market, both in the UK and overseas.
"One of the major opportunities for the Group is to harness the strengths of our online and land-based businesses, building trusted brands, developing enjoyable gaming experiences and delivering them to the customer in the way that he or she wants to receive them."
Jones joins Rank with immediate effect and will become a member of the Group's executive committee.


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TOLEDO, OH (WTOL) - Local Starbucks stores are among the more than 8,000 locations across the nation that closed Tuesday afternoon as employees participated in anti-racial bias training.
The Starbucks on Monroe Street is one of many in the Toledo area that closed at 2:30 p.m. for four hours of training.
The nationwide training involved 175,000 employees.
Starbucks announced the closures back in April after a Philadelphia store manager kicked two black men out of the store for not buying anything.
Starbucks Executive Chairman Howard Schultz says this is a necessary step for the stores to move forward.
"We need to use this as an opportunity to really transform the training, an opportunity to share with our Starbucks partners, all 75,000 of them, everything we possibly can with experts who could co-author with us a legitimate way to provide racial bias training to demonstrate we all have unconscious bias," Schultz said.
Read his full statement here.
Some local patrons agreed with the decision to hold the training while others were not happy to be inconvenienced.
"I guess it's a good thing just for them just to make sure it doesn't happen again and I don't think, it'd be kind of ridiculous if it does happen again," Kyle Lender said.
Throughout afternoon, Starbucks customers pulled into the parking lot and realized they were not able to get their afternoon coffee.
"Well, I'm thirsty and I'm upset. I just wanted an iced tea!" said would-be customer Sarah Bowlus.
Starbucks could lose about 20 percent of sales while stores are closed. The Starbucks located inside Kroger stores are not affected by the closures and remained open.


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Microsoft's takeover of Activision Blizzard has taken a step closer to going ahead following this week's victory against the FTC, and it seems like great timing for Blizzard in particular according to president Mike Ybarra's recent comments.
Taking to Twitter earlier today, Ybarra was full of praise for the teams at Blizzard, stating that the company has "so much coming" and is "just getting started". Here's a look at what Ybarra had to say:
"We have so much coming from such talented teams. Some people told me years ago Blizzard was a 'sleeping giant'. To them I say, the sleeping giant is awake and in full force.
Players are the center of everything we do - and always will be. We are just getting started."
Of course, it's been a very busy time for Blizzard lately with the extremely successful release of Diablo 4 as well as last year's launches of Diablo Immortal and Overwatch 2, and it sounds like there's a lot more exciting stuff to come!
Assuming Microsoft does eventually acquire Blizzard (as well as Activision), we should be seeing most of these upcoming projects on Xbox Game Pass as well in the future — so it's certainly a great time to be an Xbox owner.


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The infamous, but greatly-hyped Scanadu Scout prematurely departed this Earth shortly after midnight on May 15 in the year of our Lord 2017, to join the likes of Google Glass, Amazon Fire Phone, and the Nintendo Virtual Boy in Gadget Flop Heaven. It was just over 27 months old.
The Scanadu Scout was conceived in the mind of Walter De Brouwer, a Belgium-born entrepreneur and semiotician. With the fanfare of a messianic arrival, he announced the Scout’s coming on November 29, 2012. While it received much media attention for being seen as the prophetic fulfillment of a much-anticipated Star Trek Tricorder, some were skeptical with the announcement’s flashy animations and underwhelming demo.
The imminent arrival of the Scout continued to be hyped, despite the lack of additional signs of its coming. But it continued to gain believers, and raised a record $1.7 million from 8,800 backers on Indiegogo, each paying between $199 and $529 for the promise to one day receive its blessings and goodness. And while no flashes of light ever appeared in the sky to proclaim its coming, venture capitalists still gave $10.5 million in funding to declare their allegiance to Walter and his sensational gadget. The date foretold by the prophecy of Indiegogo eventually came and passed with no arrival, but Walter masterfully continued to make assurances of the Scout’s coming, so its followers still did not doubt.
The Scout finally arrived into the world in February of 2015, nearly a year after the prophesied date. Its followers were overjoyed; its attractive design and high-tech features conveyed a sense that this device was truly the future. Its followers quickly forgot the fact that they had given several hundreds of dollars and waited over three years. They overlooked the fact that their personal health data would be shared and used for the company’s own research. And, they overlooked the fact that its arrival was accompanied by an undisclosed mortal curse from the FDA that would ultimately lead to its demise.
In December 2016, the Scout announced that it would cease to exist in May 2017. The Scout gave no clear reason for its departure, other than a vague statement: it was an investigational device that the FDA would no longer allow to live. Its father, Walter, had already abandoned the Scout back in April 2016 to father another child. More surprisingly, the Scout gave its loyal followers no hope for its future; no blessing for their seed-faith offering, no returns from the 5.6 billion health data points they contributed, and no commendation for their faithfulness during its short time on Earth. As a result, many of its believers deserted, turning to social media and forming a protesting movement known as #Scamadu.
The Scout leaves behind two still largely unknown sibling devices whose arrival was announced at the same time as the Scout in November 2012. It leaves behind its creator, Scanadu, who to this day continues to receive seed-faith offerings from its remaining adherents. Most notably, the Scout leaves behind a legacy of duped consumers, who have learned from its example to be extra discerning when it comes to backing crowdsourced medical products, as there’s little accountability, health information privacy concerns and regulatory hurdles can quickly deal a mortal blow, and the gadget can fall victim to the same fate as the Scout.
Plans have been made for the Scout’s remains to be interred as expensive plastic paperweights, objects for target practice for a variety of weapons, and mediocre hockey pucks. Donations to the family in memory of the Scout are not encouraged.
Scanadu Scout, may you rest in pieces (literally).


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Green Deal ‘undermined’ by scammersBeat The Cowboy Builder
The Citizens Advice Bureau has warned that the Green Deal’s credibility is being undermined by scammers.
Last week, it revealed that seven out of 10 enquiries it received about the Green Deal were about scams.
It said over half of those caught out by scams were contacted out of the blue and offered thousands of pounds of free insulation. It said people were then losing up to £500 in money paid out for assessments of their homes that never happened.
Gillian Guy, chief executive of the Citizens Advice Bureau, said “fake firms” were “undermining” the scheme.
She added: “With energy prices up by 33% since 2010, households are looking for ways to save money on their bills. Opportunistic tricksters are lining their pockets by ripping-off people who are trying to cut the cost of heating and lighting their home.”
It said a ban on cold calling and door step selling of Green Deal would help consumers distinguish the genuine firms from the scammers.
Legitimate Green Deal firms have to register with the Green Deal Oversight and Registration Body which oversees their practice.
The Cowboys are everywhere…
See on www.building.co.uk


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SINGAPORE - Catchplay, a Taiwan-based film distributor has joined the bandwagon of on-demand content providers taking on Netflix in the region with claimed advantages such as a “stronger movie lineup”, tailored content, easy user interface, and local content-production ambitions.
The on-demand service was launched in Taiwan in March and rolled out in Indonesia in June with Telkom Indonesia. In Singapore, it is partnering with StarHub offering both single rentals and a subscription-based service. It will launch in Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand within the next two years.
“We see ourselves as quite differentiated,” Daphne Yang, Catchplay’s CEO, told Campaign Asia-Pacific. “We work with local partners, secure the latest titles and put in a lot of effort into creating an environment and user interface that stands out.”
The company claims to offer tailored content for each market closely mirroring local box-office trends. In Singapore, for instance, a majority of its content library will consist of big studio releases, Asian titles will account for 15 percent of Catchplay’s portfolio while independent films will make up the rest.
Commenting on the competitive landscape, Yang said the Netflix’s one-size-fits all approach does not work for audiences in Asia-Pacific. “They are expanding too ambitiously and ignoring cultural differences and regulatory environment," she said. "I think it’s quite difficult for them to make things right.”
Indeed, the video-streaming giant faces challenges in Asian markets.
In Indonesia, for instance, the film censorship board slammed Netflix for carrying violent and sexual content. The communications ministry then demanded the firm set up a local office and pay taxes. Until then, state telco Telkom has blocked the service.
Competition from local streaming sites and global players such as Amazon, Hulu and HBO are also hurting the company. According to Techcrunch, there are more than 35 streaming services catering to local markets in Asia. For example, iFlix is available in Malaysia, Thailand and Philippines, and offers licensed content from US studios.
Users have complained that Netflix's content libraries in many Asian countries are far smaller than in the US. The company launched its services globally to more than 130 new countries, including certain markets in Asia on 6 January.
According to Media Partners Asia, Netflix sorely lacks local depth across big markets like India, Indonesia and Korea.
“The full array of Netflix’s US library will also take time to come online in many Asian markets. Licensing complexities may delay the process further,” said Vivek Couto, executive director of MPA.
Catchplay will be accessible on TV, computers and mobile devices, and users will be able to switch seamlessly from one device to another without interruption. Its player technology will automatically adapt to network speeds, the firm emphasized.
Established in 2007, Catchplay is one of Taiwan’s largest film distributors and digital content providers. The firm has invested in the production of theatrical releases, financing, home videos, digital content licensing and linear TV.
The Taiwanese firm has content partnerships with NBC Unilversal, Paramount and Warner Brothers. Within the region it has deals with Golden Village, Shaw, Cathay Keris Films and mm2.
The company is also looking to invest in content and production opportunities in the markets where it has launched. “Our base was theatrical releases, and those relationships took time," Yang said. "But we don’t see ourselves as a distribution channel, we are content people.”


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Integrating components into the thermoplastic of devices to create 3D embedded systems is set for dramatic growth according to a new report by IDTechEx.
In-mold electronics (IME) is a process of integrating printed decorations and electronic circuitry with thermoforming and molding. The results are 3D-shaped objects with embedded circuits of differing degrees of complexity.
The commercial uptake of IME has a complex history with Ford embracing this technology for an automotive interior device, but the product had to be recalled. Despite this setback the market is on the cusp of large adoption. Very large addressable markets are at different stages of adopting this technology with automotive interiors and touchpads for white goods providing the most significant volumes. IDTechEx forecast the market for IME devices to exceed $1.11bn by 2029.
The capacity to print electronic circuitry on a 2D substrate prior to converting this into a functional 3D part has many manufacturing and material challenges. The report, In-Mold Electronics 2019-2029: Technology, Market Forecasts, Players covers the commercial and emerging solutions from the key players as this technology progresses from R&D to gaining high-volume end-user designs.
The advantages of IME include light weight, space-saving, robustness, accelerated time-to-market, and high throughput capabilities. However, the technology does not come without its drawbacks in: shape limitations, yield, software immaturity, environmental stability, and post-processing. These merits and hurdles are detailed within the report with upcoming solutions in the material-space for the functional inks, substrates, and adhesives facilitating this.
The prototypes have been diverse, ranging from simple devices for wearable technology, automotive light heating, antennas, and white goods touchpads to more complex sensors, actuators, and displays.
IME is not the only technological solution to 3D electronics. Aerosol jet printing, Mold Interconnected Devices (including laser direct structuring, two-shot molding, and film inserting), and 3D printing electronics are all rapidly emerging and gaining traction. This report benchmarks these technologies and looks at some of the key players and latest advancements.


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We’re one step closer to a final launch for Android P today with the release of the fifth and final developer preview. This build of Android should be the last beta before the official update rolls out to phones. The developer preview only runs on a handful of devices and is intended as a test platform for developers. However, plenty of curious enthusiasts run the developer previews as well. Those with a compatible phone can check out the (probably) final form of Android P right now.
Installing the developer preview means you’ll either have to sideload a system image over USB or wait for the Android beta program to get the update via OTA. The latter is easier, and you won’t have to reset your phone. The system image approach means you can usually get the updates faster. It’ll probably be another day or so before OTAs arrive for those in the beta program.
The fifth developer preview (also called Beta 4) is a release candidate. That means it should be feature and API complete, making it almost identical to the final build. Android P will bring features like smart replies in your notifications, a cool rotation lock button, an updated UI, AI-powered battery optimization, and gesture navigation. The gesture nav feature is optional and a bit buried in the settings, and for good reason. It’s a bit of a mess right now, even as we near Android P’s launch. The standard nav bar will probably be the default.
The updates in this particular update seem mostly behind-the-scenes. The APIs are final, so developers will be able to validate their apps on the new OS. Some consumer-facing features could technically still sneak in before launch. For example, Google’s digital wellbeing features unveiled at I/O this year are still missing in DP5.
The developer preview program was limited to Google’s phones in the past, but the deployment of Project Treble in Oreo means that some phones from other OEMs can run the preview as well. In addition to the first and second-generation Pixel phones, you can get developer preview builds for the Essential Phone, OnePlus 6, and others. However, these phones don’t get the new builds in tandem with Pixels. If you want DP5 right this minute, a Pixel is your best bet. Essential has rolled out a new update today based on this code, but it’s called developer preview 3. Yes, the naming scheme is terrible.
Google should begin updating its devices with Android P in another month or so. Pixels will probably be alone running Android P for at least a month or two before third-party phones in the developer preview get their updates.
Vivo Demos First Smartphone With In-Display Fingerprint Sensor
At CES, Chinese smartphone maker Vivo is on hand to show off the first ever phone with a fingerprint reader inside the display.
NASA Finds Vast Deposits of Ice Just Under Martian Surface
We've known for years that there is at least some water ice on Mars, but it's been hard to pin down where it is and how easy it would be to extract. New data from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter indicates it could be almost everywhere.
Massive Solar Flares Diminish Chance of Finding Life on Proxima Centauri
Ever since we found an exoplanet around the nearest star from Earth, there's been intense interest in whether it could host life. Today's news points in the opposite direction.
Final Fantasy XV is Coming to PC, But Hitting a Locked 60fps is Harder Than You’d Think
True 4K support will be available when the game launches on March 6, so this is our opportunity for a version without compromise, right? Right?!


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They spent their teenage years working as caddies at golf courses in the Lothians – and now they are set to return with their own clothing brand for the Open Championships.
Royal and Awesome is the latest offering from the team that created the world’s most popular fancy dress brand, Morphsuits.
The brand is the brainchild of brothers Fraser, Ali and Graeme Smeaton and school friend Graeme Menzies, from Gullane.
They will return to the village when the 2013 Open Championships get under way in East Lothian next month.
Ali, 32, said the story of their success began when they started working as caddies at Muirfield and Gullane Golf Club during school and university holidays and volunteering as “score-boarders”. He said: “We all started caddying around the Gullane courses and then Muirfield when we were about 13 years old.
“We would go round the 18 holes imparting our local knowledge that we had from growing up there and we got to know some pretty successful and interesting people. We couldn’t really have had a better experience.”
Described as taking the history and heritage of golf in Scotland and adding fun and colour, Royal & Awesome has a lot to celebrate.
Impressive first-year sales are set to double this year and the firm has a growing Facebook following of more than 65,000 golfers.
Ali said: “The idea for the golf brand, with the patterns and colours, is that in the same way as the Morphsuits, they really stand out from the crowd.
“Golf is a sport that is steeped in rules and tradition but within that people really want to have fun.”
The brand’s clothing has regularly increased its range over the last year and now has collections for men and women, which include trousers, shorts, skirts, plus twos, shirts and accessories.
The team has already achieved global success after unveiling the Morphsuit through parent company AFG Media, selling 500,000 outfits each year and generating annual revenues of more than £10 million.
The entrepreneurs will be donning their dazzling clothing at the Open and marking the occasion with a series of events, giveaways and competitions.
Anyone wearing Royal & Awesome clothing will received discounted taxis and free drinks at three pubs after each day’s play – The Old Club House in Gullane, The Nether Abbey in North Berwick and Ducks in Aberlady – a nod to the brand’s strapline of “for the pars and the bars”.
Fraser, the chief executive of AFG Media, said: “Having attended primary school in Gullane and then North Berwick High School, we really are the local lads.
“We are now proud to be heading back home as a team of successful golf entrepreneurs and looking forward to having some fun.”


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Fiserv, Inc. (NASDAQ: FISV), a leading global provider of financial services technology solutions, today announced that more than 50 financial institutions that utilize a Fiserv core processing platform added merchant solutions to their portfolio between the late July combination of Fiserv and First Data and the end of 2019.
Pairing a merchant offering alongside core technology from Fiserv allows banks and credit unions to better identify business banking opportunities, enable digital enrollment for merchant solutions, and deliver differentiated value to small and mid-sized businesses through the could-based Clover® platform from First Data, now Fiserv.
First Foundation Bank, which has 20 locations across California, Nevada and Hawaii, launched its merchant services program with Fiserv in October of 2019.
“Our new offering is helping us attract small business merchant customers, enabling them to create a merchant account in minutes, and giving us the opportunity to digitally market additional services to them,” said Tracy Miller, Senior Vice President, Director of Depository Services at First Foundation Bank. “The customer service Fiserv is providing our branch managers and merchant customers has been excellent. They have gone above and beyond.”
Central Missouri Community Credit Union, a Fiserv core processing client for more than 30 years, has also added merchant solutions.
“Adding merchant solutions from Fiserv will enable us to offer significant new value to our members who own and operate small businesses in our community,” said Carol White, Chief Executive Officer, Central Missouri Community Credit Union. “Payment acceptance is the lifeblood of small businesses, and we look forward to partnering with those small business owners in their future success.”
Fiserv completed its acquisition of First Data on July 29, 2019. The combination of the two companies built an offering of end-to-end solutions spanning the value chain of payments, including four benefits for financial institutions that are unique in the industry:
- Merchant Opportunity Analysis – Financial institutions are able to pull data from their core processing platforms to identify small business customers who are accepting debit and credit card payments
- Digital Merchant Enrollment – An integrated merchant services enrollment portal that sits within the financial institution’s website gives website visitors the ability to create a merchant account through their bank or credit union in less than five minutes
- Access to Clover – Financial institutions can offer the market-leading cloud-based point-of-sale platform to small and mid-sized businesses
- Integration with Core and Digital Banking Solutions – Merchant customers can see their business’ real-time payment data within their cash flow management dashboard
In a world moving faster than ever before, Fiserv helps clients deliver solutions in step with the way people live and work today – financial services at the speed of life. Learn more at fiserv.com.
Fiserv, Inc. (NASDAQ: FISV) aspires to move money and information in a way that moves the world. As a global leader in payments and financial technology, the company helps clients achieve best-in-class results through a commitment to innovation and excellence in areas including account processing and digital banking solutions; card issuer processing and network services; payments; e-commerce; merchant acquiring and processing; and the Clover® cloud-based point-of-sale solution. Fiserv is a member of the S&P 500® Index and the FORTUNE® 500, and is among FORTUNE World’s Most Admired Companies®. Visit fiserv.com and follow on social media for more information and the latest company news.


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Indonesia is the fourth country in terms of usage of the social networks, just behind India, United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.
The new delegation is in the Golden Triangle of Jakarta, which is the financial, diplomatic and commercial Centre of Indonesia.
This team will be led by Alexandra Debby Mulie as the country manager under the umbrella of Adglow APAC, led by Alejandro Vázquez Guillén.
Madrid, September 14, 2017.Adglow, the leading international social media advertising provider, has today announced the opening of its new operations in Jakarta, Indonesia, as a continuation of its commercial expansion strategy in the Asian market.
Adglow with its own technology, manages advertising campaigns on social media for leading brands and media agencies as an advertising partner of Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, Pinterest and Amazon.
With this move, Adglow now has 18 branches situated in Austin, Barcelona, Buenos Aires, Cape Town, Hong Kong, Jakarta, London, Madrid, Manila, Miami, Milan, Mexico DF, New York, Santiago de Chile, Sao Paulo, Singapore and Toronto.
Adglow´s new delegation is in one of the most emblematic building in Jakarta, the Axa Tower,which is in the so-called Golden Triangle of Jakarta in the financial, diplomatic and commercial district of the city. Alexandra Debby Mulie will lead this office as Country Manager for Indonesia Adglow.
Alexandra holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration and International Relations from Northwood University in Midland, United States, and an MBA in Marketing and Communication from Swiss German University in Indonesia.
She has almost ten years’ experience in the digital industry, advertising campaign management as well as in the development of digital marketing strategies and project management. She has worked as director of business development in the financial agency “Corous 360” for the Southeast Asian market. Subsequently, she worked for the Bank of Negara Indonesia in the IT division, mainly managing business development strategies.
Prior to her incorporation into Adglow, Alexandra held the position of Country Manager in Indonesia in the mobile marketing and digital advertising platform, VSERV Digital, managing campaigns for clients in Thailand Vietnam, Myanmar, The Philippines and Singapore. This will enable Adglow to reinforce its knowledge in these markets.
From her new position in Adglow, Alexandra will report to Adglow APAC, which is the Company´s division led by Alejandro Vázquez Guillén.
Alejandro Vazquez-Guillén, CEO of Adglow at APAC, states: "The opening of Indonesia's office is a major milestone for Adglow. It´s extensive geographic dispersion with thousands of islands makes Indonesia one of the most active countries in terms of the use of social networking on the mobile phone, and it´s capital Jakarta, the second largest city in the world with most users. This makes it a challenge for Adglow and its expansion plan in Asia."


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Princess Cruises has been recognized by SHAPE magazine as a winner in its fourth annual Healthy Travel Awards, recognizing the cruise line’s state-of-the-art Lotus Spa and Fitness Centers onboard its 17 cruise ships.
The Florida-Caribbean Association (FCCA), the trade group representing the mutual interests of the cruise industry and destinations and stakeholders in the Caribbean and Latin America, is proud to announce that the 2017-2018 cruise year brought record economic contributions to the region, despite the historic hurricane season.
The Marine Hotel Association (MHA) and Cruise Industry News (CIN) today announced a new partnership, making CIN the official media partner of the MHA. MHA is a not-for-profit international association representing the cruise industry and its supporting supplier community, and dedicated to enhancing the overall quality of the guest experience.
The Orderbook page at Cybercruises.com has been updated: a) With the announcement that CSSC Carnival Cruise Shipping Limited has signed a contract for two new cruise ships that will be built in China and serve the Chinese cruise market. b) Virgin Voyages has confirmed a fourth order for a 2,750-berth “Lady” class ship. c) Hurtigruten has signed for a third of its 530-berth “Amundsen” class ships d) The Heritage River Journeys is building two new river cruise boats.
Sisimiut has become the first Greenlandic town to launch its own Community Specific Guidelines. The guidelines instruct tourists on how to be considerate visitors and were developed using a template created by the Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators (AECO) and partners.
Findings from a report conducted by the Business Research & Economic Advisors (BREA) on behalf of Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) concluded that the cruise industry generated €10.4 billion to the UK economy in 2017, representing around 22% of the cruise industry’s ‘total output’ across Europe, CLIA said in a statement. (cruisebusiness.com)
Carnival Cruise Line is launching a completely redesigned version of its popular Travel Agent Finder. The upgraded tool is more user-friendly and provides enhanced individual agency information, as well as displays more agencies to help consumers find a local travel professional within Carnival’s extensive network.
Mega-size cruise ships that can carry upwards of 5,000 passengers are becoming more common on the high seas and are popular with a wide range of travelers, including those looking for a premium cruise vacation. At the same time, an analysis of AAA Travel’s cruise booking data from the last 12 months reveals an emerging trend of vacationers increasingly selecting smaller-ship voyages on luxury ocean and river cruise lines.
More young people are considering going on a cruise in the next 12 months compared to last year, according to ABTA’s latest Holiday Habits report. The report found 12 percent of 18-34 year olds are considering taking a cruise in the next 12 months –compared to 11 percent of 18-24 year olds and nine percent of 25-34 year olds in 2017. (cruisecritic.co.uk)
Saga have today announced the launch of a new trade website and booking engine, allowing agents to book online as opposed to calling the contact centre, although they will of course, still be available to support as required.


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UPPER EAST SIDE — While retail spaces in some parts of the city are going barren, new high-end boutiques are continuing to pop up along Madison Avenue, with 20 new businesses opening on the stretch just this year.
It's strong local demand that's driving luxury designers to grab up storefronts along the stretch from 57th to 86th Streets — with as much as 60 percent of customer traffic coming from the Upper East Side and surrounding neighborhoods, according to Matthew Brauer, president of the Madison Avenue Business Improvement District.
The number of businesses that opened this year is already at pace to exceed previous years' numbers — with 27 opening in 2014 and 21 in 2015, according to Bauer.
Already this year, 20 new businesses have opened shop on Madison Avenue, though at least 14 shops left the stretch this year too, including Elaine Turner, Gucci, Lisa Perry and Mulberry, he added.
"Luxury brands recognize that this is a strong place to invest because there is a strong local dedicated market," he said. "It's an international shopping street with five hotels, but at the same time, so many clients are local. Because of that local market, Madison Avenue will always be a safe investment."
At Michael's Consignment Shop — which has been on Madison Avenue near East 80th Street since 1954 — roughly 60 to 70 percent of its customers are from the Upper East Side and the rest come from the tri-state area, other states, and other countries, said Laura Fluhr, the company's president and owner.
And newer shops like Sugarfina, a luxury candy store that opened in June, are benefiting from the local draw, according to Rosie O'Neill, the company's co-founder.
"Now that people are returning from summer holiday, we’re seeing a nice uptick in locals shopping at the boutique and learning about the brand," she said.
A dip in average asking rent could also be enticing new businesses to the corridor.
The average asking rent for ground floor retail space on Madison Avenue between 57th and 72nd streets dropped roughly 3 percent this year, from $1,700-per-square-foot in the spring of 2015 to $1,644-per-square-foot in the same period this year, according to the Real Estate Board of New York.
"The luxury retail market has slowed and exclusive brands have delayed leasing new space until they can determine how this sector of the market will play out," says REBNY's Spring 2016 retail report.
"This has brought onto the market more prestigious, higher-priced spaces in addition to spaces at the lower end of the price spectrum, the combination of which resulted in this slightly lower average asking rent for the corridor.”
By comparison, neighborhoods like Tribeca and SoHo are experiencing a rising number of closing businesses, largely due to increasing rents, according to a new map called "Vacant New York."
Madison Avenue is also home to a lot of historic buildings and townhomes, offering unique types of retail spaces, according to Bauer.
Italian leather purveyor Bottega Veneta took over five floors of three landmarked townhouses at 740 Madison Ave. and 24-25 E. 64th St. in December 2014.
"Madison Avenue is not vanilla boxes," Bauer said. "It's not like going into a shopping mall. The historic architecture is used to further the shopping experience. There's a sense of charm maintained."
Here's a closer look at a few shops that have recently opened on Madison Avenue:
► Veronica Beard, 988 Madison Ave. at East 77th Street
International women's clothing shop Veronica Beard opened on Aug. 23 with jackets, blouses, dresses and other items catering to the professional woman. The new spot also has a hat collection exclusive to the Madison Avenue store and also offers skin care, fragrances, totes, shoes and undergarments from various brands.
► Sugarfina, 1100 Madison Ave. at East 83rd Street
Sugarfina opened in June with alcoholic-flavored candies, including rosé flavored gummies, champagne gummy bears, chocolate pieces with shots of Scotch inside, and other tasty treats. The company has a small kiosk at Columbus Circle, and decided to open its first brick and mortar store in New York City on Madison Avenue.
► Sweaty Betty, 1153 Madison Ave. at East 85th Street
London-based sportswear company Sweaty Betty takes a more fashionable approach to work out clothes, from mesh workout leggings to yoga camis and Pilates socks.
S.J. Shrubsole, founded in London, has been selling antique jewelry and silver in New York since 1936 but just opened its second location here on Madison Avenue. From jeweled brooches to English silver spoons, S.J. Shrubsole has a slew of precious metals and accessories to choose from.
► Moynat, 937 Madison Ave. at East 74th Street
Moynat, a Parisian company that's been around for more than a century, opened its first U.S. shop this year on Madison Avenue, selling leather goods including colorful handbags, small cardholders, coin wallets, key chains, notebooks and more.
The map below shows all of the stores that have opened since January this year, according to the Madison Avenue Business Improvement District:


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Jeff Bezos is one of the richest men in the world .and he is a CEO amazon. Recently employees of amazon last month signed a blog criticizing the online retail giant’s climate policies and demanding it does more to tackle climate change.
In the future, amazon planning to launch more and more pollution-free vehicles.
Last September, he said Amazon would pledge to become carbon neutral by 2040 and vowed that the company would order 100,000 electric delivery trucks.
Fellow billionaire Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, now devotes much of his time to his charity foundation and a venture fund that makes investments aimed at helping curb emissions and reverse climate change.
The New York Times said that even if Bezos spent the full $10 billion immediately, he would still be the world’s richest person.


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Innocent bid to 'veg' out offices as it launches a £1.5m marketing blitz
Smoothie company Innocent is set to launch a £1.5 million marketing blitz to promote its 'veg pot' range, which will see staff visit 1,500 offices handing out 40,000 free pots.
The company, which is also promoting the pots in a TV advertising campaign starting this weekend, said 4.5 million extra portions of vegetables would be eaten as a result of the push.
It has added a Bombay curry recipe to the range, which includes mushroom risotto and vegetable masala.
Eastern inspired: Innocent co-founders Adam Balon, left, and Richard Reed, with chef Gizzi Erskine
The company, which was founded by three university friends ten years ago and now has a turnover of £100 million, opened its first cafe on Friday in Shoreditch, east London.
The cafe, which aims to serve 5,000 diners their five-a-day fruit and veg portions for £5, will stay open for just a week.
But if successful, co-founders Richard Reed and Adam Balon said the experiment might be repeated next year and possibly tried out around the country.
Coca-Cola increased its holding in the west London company to 58 per cent earlier this year.
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“To maintain public confidence in its operating system, Jobs & Co. should consider hiring a security czar,” Arik Hesseldahl writes for Forbes. “The second potentially major Mac security incident in as many weeks has thankfully been debunked. Earlier this week I wrote a blog entry about a Mac Mini owner in Sweden who configured his machine as a server and challenged hackers to gain access to it. The Mini was — as hackers like to say — ‘owned’ only 30 minutes after the challenge started. By ‘owned,’ I mean rooted… If your Mac is connected to the Internet all day, as mine is, you can see the fright such news might generate… That is, if it were true. It turns out the original reports weren’t forthcoming with all the facts. The person who “rooted” the Mac already had a user name and password, as if he were a regular day-to-day user. In fact, having an account on this Mac was a prerequisite to taking part in the challenge. From there, the person used some method — most likely having to do with weaknesses in the Unix underpinnings of the Mac operating system — to gain escalated access.”
“These kinds of ‘privilege escalation’ vulnerabilities have cropped up on the Mac over the years and date back decades to FreeBSD, the variant of Unix on which Mac OS X is based. But remember, you can’t take advantage of this type of vulnerability unless you already have access to the machine — which implies having been given permission for that access in the first place,” Hesseldahl writes. “The pseudo break-in and misleading reports didn’t sit well with Dave Schroeder, a network systems engineer and Mac enthusiast at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. He’s been outspoken on the issue of Mac security, portraying recent reports as overblown. So he set up his own challenge, inviting the world to hack a Web page — the very page he used to tell the world about the challenge — running on a Mac Mini he set up as a Web server… For 38 hours, nothing worked. The Mac Mini held its ground against the worst that the multitudes could throw against it. The contest ended earlier than originally planned and even appears to have gotten Schroeder in trouble with his employer, since it wasn’t sanctioned by the university. I’m hearing he may face some kind disciplinary action. The University of Wisconsin apparently isn’t interested in such a real-world ad-hoc test, no matter how successful and harmless it proved to be. Schroeder wasn’t available for comment.”
“Uninformed media sources will do what they do best — sow fear, uncertainty, and doubt [FUD]. And the first time a really big Mac security incident occurs it will cause some people who are considering a Mac over a cheaper Windows-based system to change their minds,” Hesseldahl writes. “Vulnerabilities in Windows are so common they don’t really make the news anymore. But a large-scale, widespread incident on the Mac could badly wound Apple’s reputation. It’s for this reason that I think the time has come for Apple to consider doing what many other companies like IBM and Oracle have: create a position of chief security officer.”
Full article here.
• Apple’s brand new iPod Hi-Fi speaker system. Home stereo. Reinvented. Available now for $349 with free shipping.
• Apple’s new Mac mini. Intel Core, up to 4 times faster. Starting at just $599. Free shipping.
• MacBook Pro. The first Mac notebook built upon Intel Core Duo with iLife ’06, Front Row and built-in iSight. Starting at $1999. Free shipping.
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• iPod Radio Remote. Listen to FM radio on your iPod and control everything with a convenient wired remote. Just $49.
• iPod. 15,000 songs. 25,000 photos. 150 hours of video. The new iPod. 30GB and 60GB models start at just $299. Free shipping.
• Connect iPod to your television set with the iPod AV Cable. Just $19.
Related MacDailyNews articles:
Apple Mac remains ‘unhacked’ as University of Wisconsin’s Mac OS X Security Challenge ends – March 08, 2006
Mac OS X ‘unhacked’ over 24 hours and counting in genuine security challenge – March 07, 2006
University of Wisconsin launches bona fide Mac OS X Security Challenge – March 06, 2006
Mac OS X ‘hacked in under 30 minutes?’ Why Mac OS X security is all the rage recently – March 06, 2006
Spate of recent Mac security stories signal that Microsoft, others getting nervous – March 06, 2006
Apple Mac OS X clearly offers superior security over Microsoft Windows – March 02, 2006
Apple Mac OS X has a lot more vulnerabilities than Windows XP? – February 28, 2006
Enderle: Security vendors see Apple as next big opportunity – February 28, 2006
As Apple Mac grows in popularity, will security issues increase? – February 27, 2006
The Idiot’s Guide to Mac Viruses For Dummies 101 – February 24, 2006
Wired News: ‘Mac attack a load of crap’ – February 22, 2006
Report: Apple developing fix for automatic execution of shell scripts – February 21, 2006
Ars Technica: Fears over new Mac OS X ‘Leap-A’ trojan pointless – February 20, 2006
Atlanta Journal-Constitution asks: Is ‘Mac virus’ all just propaganda from Mac haters? – February 20, 2006
Mafiasoft: Microsoft to charge $50 per year for security service to protect Windows – February 07, 2006
ZDNet Australia publishes latest Mac OS X security FUD article – January 26, 2006 (Kotadia)
IDC: Apple Mac 2005 U.S. market share 4% on 32% growth year over year – January 20, 2006
Analysts: Apple Mac’s 5% market share glass ceiling set to shatter in 2006 – January 09, 2006
ZDNet Australia publishes latest Mac OS X security FUD article – September 09, 2005 (Kotadia)
Joke of the month: Gartner warns of Mac OS X ‘spyware infestation’ potential – March 30, 2005 (Kotadia)
Symantec warns about Mac OS X security threat – March 21, 2005 (Kotadia)


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VDAs come under the definition of ‘property’ under section 56 of the Income Tax. This section is related to ‘Income from other sources’. Transactions in VDA attract TDS of 1% under section 194S of the Income Tax Act. The central government has also issued guidelines related to the implementation of TDS. The government has also issued an order on TDS for transactions taking place off an exchange.
In order to clear the confusion regarding tax on cryptocurrencies, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) is preparing a list of FAQs. Profits from crypto trading are taxed at 30 percent. Along with this, TDS of 1 percent will also have to be paid on every crypto transaction. CBDT chief Sangeeta Singh had recently told that the answers to these questions will be released in July. Its purpose is to clarify the situation regarding this tax for the people associated with the crypto segment. CBDT is the apex body controlling tax related matters. Experts and firms related to the crypto industry have requested the central government to consider reducing the tax of 30 percent on profits from crypto.
Tax authorities plan to place crypto activities in the category of services that attract the highest Goods and Services Tax (GST) of 28 per cent. The GST Council has assigned a committee to study various crypto activities like trading, staking and wallets for tax purposes. A proposal in this regard can be presented in the next meeting of the GST Council. The GST Council may consider linking crypto transactions with betting activities such as gambling, lottery, betting and horse racing.
Cryptocurrency prices in Indian exchanges
For the latest tech news, smartphone reviews and exclusive offers on popular mobiles, download the Gadgets 360 Android app and follow us on Google News.


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SensorInsight Featured on Libelium’s IoT Marketplace
As a new ready-to-be-deployed solution for energy, water, agriculture and industrial environmental solutions
SensorInsight, a leading Internet of Things consulting firm and solution provider, announced today that its core platform is now featured on Libelium’s IoT marketplace with fully integrated solutions for projects involving smart cities, water, and environmental solutions.
Recently, at Sensors Expo, Libelium launched ten new kits for The IoT Marketplace with applications for smart cities, smart buildings, water management and environmental control. The company keeps on expanding interoperability and facilitating access to Internet of Things solutions.
“We’re thrilled to be featured on Libelium’s IoT Marketplace,” said Joey Bernal, Co-founder and President on SensorInsight. “This reaffirms our commitment to the future of IoT and our leadership role in providing real solutions to global customers’ needs for read-to-be-deployed solutions involving smart cities, air quality in buildings, water and environmental concerns.”
Following up with the integration of new Cloud platforms to deliver fully integrated IoT solutions, The IoT Marketplace-launched by Libelium adds new kits that work out-of-the-box and offer complete solutions from sensors to cloud to speed up IoT adoption.
“The Internet of Things generates a lot of hype but the lack of integrated solutions from hardware to application level is a barrier for fast adoption. The Iot Marketplace is removing this barrier,” said Alicia Asin, Libelium CEO.
The IoT Marketplace is a one-stop click-and-buy online store that offers fully integrated solutions from hardware sensors to cloud applications to speed up IoT adoption. The IoT Marketplace features out-of-the-box IoT kids containing programmed sensor devices connected to specific cloud applications for use in pilots or proof of concept projects with a minimum time to market.
Libelium-SensorInsight Air Quality Index Basic Solution Kit
This kit allows real time air quality monitoring in cities. It includes Libelium’s Smart Environment PRO Plug & Sense modules with calibrated sensors. For ambient monitoring, it provides more accuracy in monitoring gas concentration levels and the amount of PM1, PM2.5 and PM10 dust particles which allows cities and government agencies to help meet international Air Quality Index (AQI) compliance values, and better advise the public of air quality and health risk. It also includes solution oriented software already integrated with SensorInsight® Platform.
SensorInsight Software Platform
SensorInsight® is an Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) platform designed to provide insight across specific domains, such as energy and utilities, transportation, environmental monitoring, and smarter cities. The SensorInsight® platform is composed of several components that work together to provide deep analytics and complete access to real-time systems. SensorInsight® industry packs are tailored to specific industries giving insight based on common issues for a particular industry.
Libelium designs and manufactures wireless sensor network devices so that system integrators, engineering, and consultancy companies can deliver reliable Internet of Things (IoT), M2M and Smart Cities solutions with minimum time to market. Waspmote-Libelium’s open wireless sensor platform – is modular, easy to deploy and ready to integrate. Commercial deployments based on Waspmote include applications as varied as parking, traffic congestion, environmental monitoring and precision agriculture.
Carley Communications Group


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Colorado’s Marijuana Laws May Change Soon
Colorado has been the leading state for marijuana reform — things are about to change again for the rocky mountain state. Hundreds of bills won approval in Colorado’s 2019 legislative, from health care and taxes to criminal justice and cannabis.
Some bills will take weeks, months, or even years to take into effect but the changes may be coming either way. It’s up to Gov. Jared Polis to sign them in the coming month, everyone is awaiting his decisions eagerly especially the cannabis industry.
- House Bill 1090 will allow those seeking to invest in the legal marijuana industry the ability to do so. Publicly traded and private equity firms will now be able to invest in marijuana businesses in Colorado for the first time.
- People with autism will now be able to receive medical marijuana under bill HB19-1028.
- For those with pain — doctors will now be able to prescribe medical marijuana for any condition that could also be treated by opioids. Senate Bill 13.
- Under House Bill 1230, people will be able to consume their marijuana in ‘tasting rooms’ that are attached to marijuana stores. Users will be able to bring their own marijuana to these licensed businesses as well.
- Medical marijuana retailers will be able to deliver products to patients with HB19-1234. Starting Jan. 2, 2021 recreational cannabis sellers will be able to jump in on the delivery service as well.
All of these bills would drastically change the marijuana industry in Colorado. It is up to Gov. Jared Polis now to make the final decision.


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Signature Living is opening a brand new boutique gym in the city centre.
The brand behind many of Liverpool's most popular hotels has announced plans to finally open the doors to its highly anticipated new project.
Signature Fit Club, located on Old Hall Street will offer a range of classes including high intensity training and boxing, there will also be personal training available and the opportunity to book smaller group workouts.
Co-owner Bern Giam, along with a team of coaches will be ensuring they help everyone meet their targets. He said: "Signature Fit Club is about providing an exceptional experience for those who want to achieve their new health and fitness goals.
"Those coming into this special environment will be guided every step of the way to ensure they reach their goals; from structured training programmes to personalised nutrition plans and regular progress check-ins, it will be our mission to have guests looking and feeling their best.”
The gym will be officially opening on Friday, January 20, and has recruited a group of trainers with more than 100 years experience in the fitness industry between them.
Classes will be held everyday, with its location making it ideal for members to workout just before or after their working day.
Prices start from £7 for one class, prices change depending on how many sessions are booked at one time.
Signature Fit Club, will be hosting its official launch this Friday, with everyone welcome to go along to the Old Hall Street venue. More information can be found here .


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Unusual $120 Million Bitcoin Transaction Activity Surfaces, Impacting Market Sentiment
Surprising Activity in the Cryptocurrency Market
In a surprising turn of events, the cryptocurrency market experienced significant activity today. A total of $120 million worth of Bitcoin was transferred across major exchanges, leaving market participants intrigued.
Reports indicate that the day commenced with a substantial transaction of 2,818 BTC, equivalent to $75.8 million, sent to the prominent U.S. exchange Coinbase. Shortly after, another major transfer unfolded as 1,630 BTC, valued at $43.82 million, was withdrawn from the Bybit exchange.
Insights from On-Chain Data Analysis
Delving into the details behind these transactions, on-chain data analysis provides intriguing insights. The sender address involved in the Coinbase transfer had withdrawn the same amount of Bitcoins from a hot wallet earlier in the week, holding them for four days before returning them. This pattern suggests internal operational activities within the exchange, possibly optimizing the storage of reserves through the utilization of a new, previously undisclosed wallet.
Significant Bitcoin Holdings
Similarly, the 1,630 BTC withdrawn from Bybit traced back to the exchange’s known cold wallet address, “bc1qs,” which currently holds a staggering 34,231 BTC, equivalent to $918.93 million. These substantial sums highlight the potential influence they may have on market sentiment, inspiring other participants to consider buying or selling BTC.
Although these transfers did not directly impact the market, as the Bitcoins did not enter circulation, the significant sums highlighted by Whale Alert are noteworthy. Market participants may be influenced by such activities, leading to potential shifts in sentiment and trading behavior.
In conclusion, the cryptocurrency market witnessed unusual transaction activity, with $120 million worth of Bitcoin being transferred across major exchanges. The insights from on-chain data analysis shed light on internal operational activities within the exchanges involved, while the substantial Bitcoin holdings in certain wallets have the potential to impact market sentiment. It remains to be seen how these transactions will further shape the cryptocurrency landscape.


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Nvidia has admitted its Turing GPUs are off to a slow start and is currently trading 14% down after bearing all in a telling press release. The green team has now updated its financial outlook for Q4, swiftly chopping $500 million off its revenue as it reevaluates its guidance for the quarter from $2.7 billion to $2.2 billion.
It’s all down to poor gaming and data centre revenue, its core business, which fell massively short of what Nvidia was expecting. Excess mid-range channel inventory – or simply too many GTX 1060s – has been a bug bear for the company every since cryptocurrency took a turn for the worst and kicked the proverbial bucket. Nvidia expects this to deplete by, at the latest, April. But that’s not the only issue the green team’s facing.
The drop off in demand from the Chinese market, or “deteriorating macroeconomic conditions” as Nvidia puts it, has also impacted the consumer demand for Nvidia’s GPUs. Data centre demand also stifled as customers became “cautious” of the market, yet Nvidia remains confident that it still has the leading edge when it comes to AI and HPC applications.
But the really shocking admission from the press release is Nvidia, a traditionally tight-lipped company, acknowledging that “sales of certain high-end GPUs using NVIDIA’s new Turing architecture were lower than expected.”
The company expects consumers were waiting for cheaper GPUs, which have still not yet arrived. “Some customers may have delayed their purchase while waiting for lower price points”, Huang says in a letter to shareholders, “and further demonstrations of RTX technology in actual games.”
Time for an upgrade: These are the best graphics cards going
“Q4 was an extraordinary, unusually turbulent, and disappointing quarter,” Jensen Huang, Nvidia CEO. says. “Looking forward, we are confident in our strategies and growth drivers.”
Nvidia admits to a whole lot more, too. The mid-range GPU oversupply did cause Nvidia to delay the Turing launch, as often speculated. Also, Huang admits that gamers need more convincing of the benefits of RTX – those two games utilising the Tensor and RT Cores right now just aren’t going to cut it for consumers.
“The Nvidia you invested in has incredible talent doing important work for our future,” Huang says to shareholders. “The important work we do is only possible with your support. For that, we are tremendously appreciative. This quarter was a real punch in the gut. But your company is resilient, creative, and repeatedly rises to great challenges. We will shake this off and come back strong.”
The green team also confirms $120 million in charges for “excess DRAM and other components” due to the revenue guidance and poor market conditions. To make things worse, TSMC has also reportedly suffered a manufacturing fault, affecting the 12nm manufacturing node Nvidia utilises for its current GPU lineup.
Huang’s letter to shareholders can be read in full here. Nvidia’s fourth quarter earnings call will take place on Feb 14, 2019 at 2:30pm PT.


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English Translation of New Murakami Book to be Finished by End of Year
The new book by Japanese author Haruki Murakami (which received a record advance in South Korea in June) is called Colourless Tsukuru Tazaki and the Year of His Pilgrimage, and is currently being translated into English. It should be finished by the end of the year. As reported by The Millions on Wednesday:
That new Haruki Murakami book that’s been selling one million copies per week in Japan? Yeah, the one you’re excited to read? It’s coming out in Spanish in October of this year, so hopefully that means an English translation is in the pipeline as well.
Paul Bogaards, media relations director of Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, told GalleyCat “English readers worldwide should see Murakami’s new novel in 2014. The publisher will make a formal announcement later this year about the novel.”
Selling a million copies a week!?! That’s pretty impressive, begging the question: are you looking forward to it? Will it do as well here? I’d bet it will do pretty well.
To leave a comment


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Miami Fashion Students Create Dresses from Chocolate Wrappers
May 24, 2016
Students in fashion programs at Miami International University of Art & Design recently created unique dresses and accessories made from chocolate wrappers. The dresses and garments were on display during Miami International Mall’s inaugural chocolate festival. The dresses are now on display at the school but will be moving in July to a gallery in the famed “Little Havana” district of Miami.
See aiprograms.info for program duration, tuition, fees, and other costs, median debt, salary data, alumni success, and other important info.
Learn more about our programs.Get Brochure


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Beloit Snappers prep for opening night at ABC Supply Stadium
The first pitch is set for 6:35 p.m. Tuesday, August 3.
BELOIT, Wis. (WIFR) - After nearly 40 years at Pohlman Field, a new era kicks off Tuesday night for the Beloit Snappers and opening day at the new ABC Supply Stadium.
The privately funded ball park will hold more than 3,500 seats with a wraparound concourse that allows fans to see the game no matter where they are, a 40″x40″ HD videoboard and five brand new concession stands with four different concepts for fans to enjoy.
The Snappers will take on the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers with first pitch at 6:35 p.m. Tuesday.
WIFR, along with our sister station WMTV in Madison will televise all Snappers’ home games. Fans can watch on channels 23.3 The Circle out of Rockford and 15.3 out of Madison.
Tuesday night’s game is sold out, but limited standing-room only tickets are still available.
Copyright 2021 WIFR. All rights reserved.


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General Motors announced hefty new initiatives Wednesday to return billions of dollars to shareholders, lifting its stock price as it estimated the recent labor strike hit at $1.1 billion.
The automaker lost about 95,000 vehicles in 2023 due to the United Auto Workers labor stoppage, executives said, adding that the overall cost of the new multi-year contract was modestly higher than executives had expected.
GM announced a $10 billion "accelerated" share repurchase program and plans to boost its dividend by 33 percent.
"GM will deliver very strong profits in 2023," said Chief Executive Mary Barra.
"We are finalizing a 2024 budget that will fully offset the incremental costs of our new labor agreements and the long-term plan we are executing includes reducing the capital intensity of the business, developing products even more efficiently, and further reducing our fixed and variable costs."
GM also reinstated and adjusted its full-year profit outlook now that its cost picture is resolved following a new contract with the UAW.
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The company withdrew its financial forecast in October in the middle of a weeks-long UAW strike that also affected fellow Detroit "Big Three" automakers Ford and Stellantis.
Workers ratified contracts with a 25 percent wage increase for hourly employees earlier this month.
Executives said the manufacturing of key GM pickups at plants that experienced strikes are back at pre-strike levels.
GM estimated the total cost increase from new labor contracts at $1.5 billion in 2024 compared with the prior contracts.
GM had been girding for a difficult labor negotiation after tough contract talks at other industrial companies such as John Deere and UPS, Barra told analysts on a conference call.
"The net result has been higher than expected but not significantly," said Barra, adding that the contracts will add about $500 per vehicle in 2024 and $575 over the life of the UAW contract.
GM said next year it expects to spend hundreds of millions of dollars less on its Cruise autonomous auto program, where operations were suspended recently due to safety concerns following a series of accidents.
California in October halted testing of the program after a self-driving car operated by Cruise ran over a woman who had first been knocked in front of it by a hit-and-run driver in San Francisco.
Barra said GM would modify Cruise's operations following independent safety and incident reviews.
The company will be "very deliberate about how we go forward" as it works to build trust with regulators, Barra said.
Shares of GM jumped nearly 10 percent in pre-market trading.
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As usual, several media outlets will bring you breathless coverage of Apple’s shiny new thing, in this case, some sort of tablet-y device/service. The event starts at 1pm ET; you can follow along on Ars Technica,
Engadget, gdgt, NY Times’ Bits blog, or Gizmodo (which is often irritating).
I don’t know if these two photos depict the rumored Apple tablet or not, but I *do know* I want 5000 words from Errol Morris that attempt to answer these two seemingly related questions in an attempt to determine their authenticity:
1. Which photo was taken first?
2. Why was the tablet moved between photos?
Just a reminder that a docked Apple Tablet was spotted in the wild almost two years ago:
The Financial Times says that the rumored Apple tablet is due out sometime in “September or October”.
Book publishers have been in talks with Apple and are optimistic about being included in the computer, which could provide an alternative to Amazon’s Kindle, Sony’s Reader and a forthcoming device from Plastic Logic, recently allied with Barnes & Noble.
And if it runs apps from the App Store (“yes” seems to be the general consensus), you’ll be able to read books in the Apple tablet format *and* in Amazon’s Kindle format (with the Kindle app), which can’t be happy news for Amazon, hardware-wise.


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It’s been a long journey for the new Hitman series, which started with the Hitman reboot in 2016 and will come to a close with Hitman 3 later this month. IO Interactive’s work on the franchise has been interesting since it essentially adopted a live service model for a single-player title. That doesn’t mean it will be the default approach going forward though.
Speaking to VG247, which asked if making these types of “living games” would be the future, communications manager Travis Barbour said, “It could be, but not definitively. I don’t want to say that’s what we’re going to double down on and that’s it – I think it worked for what we wanted to do for Hitman.”
Barbour noted that “it depends on the game. It worked for Hitman; it fit the way we wanted to continue improving it. That’s not to say it’ll be the de facto model for us going forward.” So this approach may not work as well for, say, the developer’s upcoming Project 007.
Hitman 3 is out on January 20th for Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, PS4, PC, PS5 and Google Stadia. There will also be a cloud version for Nintendo Switch. Along with the classic assassination sandboxes that fans have come to love, the sequel offers new mechanics like Persistent Shortcuts which open up new areas and opportunities for future playthroughs. There’s also the new Camera Tool which can be used to garner new details and even gain the trust of a target’s rival by photographing their corpse.


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Latest Articles for FIFA 09
Expects the 2011 edition to make even more money.
Battlestations: Pacific a new entry at No.10.
Wolverine sales increase, but can't replace Wii Fit at the top.
FIFA 09, Madden NFL 09 and NFS Undercover over five million each.
Activision's movie license unable to claw its way to the top.
13th week at the top for Nintendo's health-focussed title.


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Download it today!
The first major update for New Pokémon Snap is now officially live on the Nintendo Switch. As previously mentioned, it adds 20 additional pocket monsters and three new courses. There’ll also be some quality of life improvements. Here are the full patch notes, courtesy of Nintendo’s official website:
Ver. 2.0.0 (Released August 3, 2021)
3 new areas have been added: Secret Side Path, Mightywide River, and Barren Badlands.These new areas also contain 20 new Pokémon.Additional research titles, profile icons, photo filters, stickers, and frames have been added.Search options for Other Players’ Photos have changed.Other issues have also been addressed to improve the game-play experience.
Here are more details on the new content you can enjoy:
Read the full article on nintendolife.com


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Jubilant marketers embrace Cummings
Marketers, predominantly women, went amok upon the visit of Mr. Alexander Cummings, Standard Bearer of the Collaborating Political Parties (CPP), at the Rally Time Market on Friday, March 24.
Mr. Cummings, accompanied by CPP stalwarts, was given traditional market welcome, with songs, drums, and chants, including “Mr. Cummings no equal.”
The CPP Standard Bearer toured the Rally Time Market and chatted with marketers on the prevailing business atmosphere at the market.
The Rally Time Market is one of the oldest markets constructed by the late President William R. Tolbert under the Rally Time program initiated during his reign from 1971- 1979.
Rally Time Market officials who led the tour expressed appreciation and were jubilant for the visit of the CPP Standard Bearer and entourage to the market. They stressed the importance of Mr. Cummings meeting and greeting the marketers, who they said are striving under enormous challenges to remain in business and support their families.
In remarks, Mr. Cummings expressed thanks and appreciation for the warm welcome and spoke of the important contributions of women towards nation-building. He said women are the backbone and foundation of Liberia, deserving of a better quality of life, and urged them to muster the courage to register and vote en-masse in the pending October 10 elections, to help change Liberia.
The CPP Standard Bearer has, in the last months, been visiting several markets, including the Fiamah Market in Sinkor, the Duala Market, Bushrod Island and the Rally Time Market on UN Drive.


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Cannabis Giant MedMen Sues Pasadena Over Permit Disqualification
California-based cannabis giant MedMen has filed a lawsuit against the City of Pasadena over its decision to disqualify the company from receiving a conditional use permit.
As CalMarijuanaPolicy noted in September, high turnover and instability appear to have been driving motivators for the city in its decision to shut MedMen out. Pasadena Now previously obtained a document from the city citing “a material change in ownership and/or management” at the company.
In its lawsuit, MedMed called the city’s decision “arbitrary, capricious and unlawful.”
From Marijuana Business Daily:
MedMen, headquartered in Los Angeles, claims in the lawsuit that, after the original scoring, it entered into a “non-terminable, 10-year lease” for roughly $6.5 million and had already spent $700,000 on various expenses related to the licensing process.
The company further argued that turnover at the executive level doesn’t constitute a change in ownership because the company itself still owns all the assets related to the Pasadena enterprise, according to the Star-News.
Pasadena is facing unrelated lawsuits from two other cannabis businesses over its permitting process.
Read more here.


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Most small and midsize U.S. business leaders expect continued growth for their companies this year amid a less robust economic environment, according to the annual JPMorgan Chase Business Leaders Outlook survey released today. Three out of 4 businesses – 76% of midsize companies and 74% of small ones – are optimistic about their own performance, and the majority expect to grow sales this year (70% of midsize companies and 62% of small ones). They’re leaning into this expected growth through measures including more widespread adoption of new technology and increased hiring.
The national and global business outlooks are more cautious, with midsize companies in particular reporting a drop in optimism from 2019. While more than half of midsize (59%) and small (52%) businesses remain optimistic about the national economy, this marks a decline of 14 and 3 points from a year ago, respectively. Optimism about the global economy is also down for midsize companies, which are more likely to have exposure to international markets: 24% are optimistic compared to 39% in 2019. Among small businesses, global optimism is steady at 40% compared to 38% in 2019.
“Businesses are becoming used to a new normal as the pace of economic expansion naturally settles down,” said Jim Glassman, senior economist at JPMorgan Chase. “But it’s important to note that slowing economic growth isn’t a sign of weakness, and many of the concerns business leaders have point toward an economy that’s running at its full potential.”
Leaning into Disruption: When it comes to preparing for disruption, even more business leaders are mobilizing to make changes now compared to 2019: 89% of midsize companies and 61% of small ones report taking actions including purchasing cyber insurance, creating contingency plans and designating individuals and teams to identify threats and opportunities. Businesses are also embracing emerging technologies to increase efficiencies and reach customers more directly.
• For midsize businesses, cloud computing is expected to be the most widely deployed technology for 2020, with 73% planning to use it, followed by data-driven targeted marketing (50%) and application programming interfaces (APIs) at 46%.
• Small businesses are increasingly feeling the impacts of e-commerce disruption, but 57% feel confident in their ability to manage this challenge.
“In an era of rapid technological change, businesses are demonstrating their resiliency and taking steps to future-proof their companies,” said John Simmons, head of Middle Market Banking & Specialized Industries at JPMorgan Chase. “Harnessing new tools and technologies and remaining agile will help accelerate growth in today’s competitive environment.”
Hiring from a Shrinking Talent Pool: Businesses want to hire to prepare for an expected uptick in sales, but a limited supply of qualified candidates is making it increasingly difficult to do so.
• For the second consecutive year, midsize businesses rank this as the #1 challenge, constrained by a lack of applicants and unique skills needed for the job. This is a reality for small businesses as well: 31% report that they are extremely or very concerned about the candidate supply, up from 28% last year.
• Still, businesses are forging ahead: 55% of midsize businesses and 39% of small ones expect to increase full-time employees over the next year. Small businesses also expect a jump in part-time employment, with 38% planning to hire, up 7 percentage points from 2019.
• To retain talent, businesses plan to increase compensation, improve benefits and provide flexible hours.
Setting Sights on Business Abroad: Despite geopolitical and trade-related concerns, midsize businesses remain heavily invested overseas and are continuing to expand into new international markets at earlier stages in their lifecycles. Nearly half (47%) of midsize businesses have sales outside the U.S., with an additional 14% planning to establish international sales or operations in the next three years.
Unexpected Growth is Common: Many small businesses (69%) report having experienced unexpected growth and of these companies, 91% have gone through it more than once. While small business leaders feel largely positive about the growth, they acknowledge having to work longer hours and purchase more supplies and inventory as a result.
“Unexpected growth is a good problem to have but it can be stressful for small business owners,” said Business Banking CEO Jen Roberts. “They have to reassess their short and long-term strategies, which could mean managing their cash flow more efficiently, incentivizing staff, or investing in technology to help them scale.”
Planning For the New Decade:
Businesses should get comfortable with today’s complex operating environment, and keep the following considerations in mind as they plan for the year ahead:
1. Don’t be fazed by the US economy’s new normal. The durability of today’s expansion is unlike anything we’ve seen before. Rather than compare to business cycles of the past, look instead to key metrics like unemployment and inflation to get a fuller picture of the economy’s health. With strong fundamentals and no clear recessionary trigger, it seems likely the expansion could continue at a slower pace for a sustained period. Learn more.
2. Embrace technological change head-on. The most successful businesses are using technology to stay ahead of the competition, drive efficiency and build a seamless customer experience. Evaluate the latest tools to make sure your business isn’t left behind. Learn more.
3. Educate staff on cybersecurity. With the pace of cyberattacks rapidly accelerating, 2020 is the year to make cybersecurity a priority. Defenses are only as strong as your least-prepared employee, so investing in training and controls can help protect against the threat of sophisticated attacks. Learn more.
4. Make your values central to your business. In a tight labor market, defining and investing in your company’s environmental, social and governance priorities can be a differentiator in employee recruitment and retention. Learn more.
5. Take advantage of global expansion. Despite geopolitical complexities, international business opportunities are too significant to ignore—and the ease of technology and travel make them more accessible than ever for companies. Evaluate global markets and supply chains carefully to determine how to best tap into new markets. Learn more.
For more information on the Business Leaders Outlook, view the midsize and small business reports.


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Zenith is partnering with its client Coty to help the beauty company incorporate artificial intelligence and related technology into its brand portfolio.
Expanding on last year's Digital Accelerator initiative that connected Coty to external digital capabilities and start-ups, this new program focuses on a specific series of capabilities, with artificial intelligence selected as the first concept.
Startups submit a brief that outlines a specific Coty brand and demonstrates how that brand will benefit from the startup’s AI technology by March 12.
Coty will then select up to eight start-ups, to present their ideas directly to Coty’s brand leaders at its Digital Accelerator Summit on March 27th and 28th in both London and New York City.
In parallel, there will be a prize fund of up to $100,000, with prizes of $10k - $50k awarded based on criteria fit - such as brand alignment, growth impact, scaling upside - judged by a panel of Coty digital experts.
Zenith has been working closely with Coty over the past year to identify opportunities and potential collaboration. "Our focus has been on assessing Coty’s business and brand challenges and then, through Zenith and Publicis Media’s innovation programs, selecting start-ups that can provide solutions to help solve these," says Benoit Cacheux, global digital & innovation lead, Zenith. "Our intention is to go deeper into the area of artificial intelligence and identify start-up partners that can help support Coty on this journey.
Coty has previously worked with emerging companies such as Beamly and Holition, which launched the brand's first app free augmented reality (AR) experience exclusively for CoverGirl. That partnership is an indication of how "we’d like to bring disruptive new approaches to the market in partnership with unique new players in AI, AR, voice and other rapidly growing technologies," says Fred Gerantabee, vice president, digital innovation, Coty.
Upcoming themes under this 2018 program will likely include AR, voice and 3D printing.


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New Vegan Initiative Helps Farmers Swap Animals For Plants
“A growing number of farmers want to switch from raising animals to growing plants” explained MFA. “At the same time, startups are racing to create meat and other products with plants. The Transfarmation Project connects the two to create a better world for us all.”
Far from just helping the animals, the project is addressing the ways in which the farmers themselves are sometimes exploited by the large corporations they work for. With strict regulations to adhere to and quotas to meet, farmers can often find it hard to make their business financially viable.
“It’s a rigged system” claimed chicken farmer Erik Hedrick.
“You have no control over anything. You’re blamed for everything.”
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Vegan Farming Model
By helping farmers to replace existing models of animal agriculture with a plant-based system, it is hoped that the farmers can reclaim autonomy over their farms, whilst ending their use of animals.
“It’s the future I hope for for farmers, for rural America” said MFA President Leah Garcés.
“It’s not just about tearing down the farms that exist, it’s about building something better.”
Do you think farmers will be open to making a plant-based change? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Tags: animal agriculture, Animal welfare, chicken farming, Mercy For Animals, Transfarmation Project, vegan food


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Today, May 29, is the deadline for LRA Commissioner General Elfreda Stewart-Tamba (right) to make a report in compliance with the 72-hour ultimatum issued by President Weah (left) to reduce import tariffs on consumer goods.
Lacks Legislative Approval
President George M. Weah’s decision to give a 72-hour ultimatum to the Liberia Revenue Authority (LRA) to ensure that tariffs on basic commodities are reduced, including the ECOWAS Common External Tariff (CET), has been considered “unilateral” and without the involvement of the Legislature.
Today, May 29, is the deadline for LRA Commissioner General Elfreda Stewart-Tamba to make a report in compliance with the 72-hour ultimatum. The LRA is expected to present a new schedule, to ensure immediate tariff reduction on a wide range of basic commodities and other consumables imported into the country.
“The president has observed that the current tariff regime, including the ECOWAS Common External Tariff (CET), is causing a serious hike in the cost of basic commodities in the country, thus adversely affecting the Liberian people, especially the poor. The president deems this as unacceptable and further expressed that it contravenes the premise of the pro-poor agenda,” noted a statement from the office of the presidential press secretary last week.
The president’s decision has triggered a bipartisan response from members of the 54th Legislature, with Nimba County District # 8 Representative Larry Younquoi arguing that the 1986 Constitution gives the authority to the Legislature, to review and approve treaties and financial instruments, including tariffs.
The House Chairman on the Committee on Good Governance & Government Reform, Rep. Larry Younquoi, told the Daily Observer in an exclusive interview that the ECOWAS CET Tariff was adopted by Liberia as part of the Protocol or Treaty as member of ECOWAS.
Representative Younquoi said the House of Representatives and the Liberian Senate approved the ECOWAS CET Tariff, attested by former President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and in accordance with the Constitution; therefore the reduction of the ECOWAS CET Tariff must be done by the Legislature.
“Besides the adoption of International Treaties or Protocols, the Legislature also has the authority to approve tariffs or taxes as well as sanction the printing of money,” Representative Younquoi said. However, he said even if it’s an “Executive Order,” it will last only for a “year.”
Meanwhile, the CET was introduced to the Legislature in 2016 by former President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, with calls for its adoption.
The introduction of the CET enabled Liberia to join other ECOWAS countries in establishing a common customs union, making trade and commerce easier within the ECOWAS sub-region.
According to ECOWAS, in any situation where a group of countries decides to form a customs union as part of the goal to achieve economic integration, they must establish a common external tariff, which would set the same customs duties, import quotas, preferences or other non- tariff barriers to trade applicable to all goods entering the territory of the group, regardless of which country within the group they are entering. It was for this purpose that the 15 Member States of the Economic Community of the West African States on 25th October 2013, adopted the ECOWAS Common External Tariff (CET).
- The CET would guarantee predictability and stability in trade: importers would be able to make long-term plans with the confidence that the tariff would remain the same. Policies affecting import tariffs can no longer be changed arbitrarily.
- As a result of the predictability and stability in trade, more foreign direct investments would be attracted.
- Increased turnover resulting from an enlarged domestic market: the whole region would become a single market for imported products.
- Increase in economies of scale resulting in the enlargement of domestic industries.
- Increased production and productivity: with an expanded market to satisfy, production and productivity would increase.
- Discourage smuggling: to certain extent, smuggling is encouraged by the disparity in tariffs. The application of common tariffs across the region would remove the incentive to smuggle products into countries that previously had high tariffs for those products.
However, economic observers say while the president’s move may be embraced by the masses, there is the need for careful consideration before pulling out of the CET regime, bearing in mind that it is a regional tax regime.
Also, as the FY2018/19 draft national budget is already before the legislature, reduction of tariffs would adversely impact the national revenue envelope and another major budget shortfall should be anticipated.
Culled from Daily Observer Liberia


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Adobe picks Trekk to market new software
Trekk Cross-Media, 134 N. Main St., Rockford, was chosen by Adobe Systems Inc. to develop marketing materials to promote the company’s recently released Adobe Creative Suite 4 software. Trekk created a series of e-mail, direct mail and signage templates for use by Adobe internal divisions as well as channel partners. Trekk Cross-Media presented a session about multichannel marketing at the fall meeting of the IPN Global Network in Atlanta; the international community gathers twice a year to share strategy and technology and gain knowledge from world experts. Trekk Cross-Media is a full-service marketing communications agency that combines strategic planning, creativity and technology to deliver integrated communication solutions across new and traditional media. For more information, go to trekk.com.


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Innovation core of Asean's next phase of development: Tharman
Fintech, e-commerce to be developed as economic balance shifts to region: DPM
Innovation will be at the heart of Asean's next phase of development, Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam said on Wednesday, as he outlined areas of priority, including fintech and e-commerce, for the regional grouping.
He was delivering the opening remarks on the strategic outlook for Asean, which Singapore chairs this year, at a session at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
Mr Tharman told an audience of business and political leaders that despite challenges such as a shifting geostrategic balance, uncertainties over trade, cyber security and terrorism, there are huge opportunities for Asean.
"The shift in economic balance globally is playing to Asean's favour," he said. "The rise of China and India is a huge opportunity for Asean, and in particular the Belt and Road Initiative has Asean as a core part of that initiative - I would say an anchor along the initiative."
Home to about 639 million people, Asean is the world's seventh largest economy and is projected to become the fifth largest by 2020.
Singapore assumed the rotating chairmanship of Asean this month, and Mr Tharman said its main emphasis will be to build resilience to cyber-security threats and terrorism and push the innovation agenda.
While Asean is still a major commodity exporter, with highly competitive export manufacturing, and an attractive market for goods and services, innovation is now "being breathed into all the existing dimensions of economic activities", he said.
Areas that could be developed include the use of financial technology, e-commerce, developing smart cities and getting youth interested in innovation, Mr Tharman added.
The use of fintech has huge potential as Asean is a diverse region with "large under-served populations without banking accounts", and Mr Tharman talked about a goal to link digital payment systems across Asean, pointing out that experiments are under way.
For e-commerce, the goal is to develop trade rules to lower costs for consumers and improve access for businesses.
Asean also intends to designate smart cities across the region, and will work with the private sector to develop them.
Finally, Mr Tharman pointed out that these efforts will not be executed by just "sagely experts or high-level government people - youth will also have a part to play".
"Developing a workforce that is very comfortable with innovation, that feels innovation gives them advantage, is going to be critical," he said.
Mr Tharman's remarks were followed by a panel discussion on the topic. Panellists included Vietnam's Deputy Prime Minister Vuong Dinh Hue and CIMB Group Holdings chairman Nazir Razak.